BOOSTING DRUG TREATMENT ISN'T CODDLING CRIMINALS

When the third annual Florida Drug Control Summit convenes today, the
state's chief drug warrior is likely to share a simple message: Shrink
demand and the drug market will shrink, too. Drug czar James McDonough
knows that a 30-year policy focused on arrest and conviction hasn't worked.
Enforcement remains crucial, but we need considerably more attention on
treatment and prevention.

According to a story Thursday by Democrat reporter Tony Bridges,
Tallahassee Police Chief Walt McNeil and several other local officials have
heard the gospel and are preaching it as well. Unfortunately, State
Attorney Willie Meggs is not.

Chief McNeil knows that there's a revolving door connecting the courthouse
and the Big House. Locking up offenders without providing adequate
treatment simply perpetuates the problem.

Mr. Meggs clings to the illusion that the system is working - or that it
could work just fine if people did their jobs. If it were that simple,
surely we would have made more progress in three decades.

No, Mr. Meggs, it is about priorities. Prosecuting serious drug offenders
is essential, but gaining the upper hand in this war depends on better
rehabilitation and education.

You're right, Mr. Meggs, it is about accountability. In schools, we test
students to determine whether the schools are doing their job. But
remediation is ultimately more important; it helps those who are struggling
to meet a minimum standard and continue to improve.

In the war on drugs, treatment and prevention - the equivalent of
remediation - should account for a much larger part of the arsenal.